Chapter Fifty–Four
“Kiss me,” I said.
“...What...?”
After leaving home, I‘d headed straight to where I knew they would be. Somewhere I knew that I definitely shouldn‘t be.
But there was no hesitation as I‘d confidently walked up and knocked on their door. And when Cai had answered, I‘d ignored his confusion and demanded the one thing I knew could make me feel better.
Because if it felt anywhere near as good as the first time, then maybe it would be enough to make me forget for a moment that everything was falling to pieces around me.
“Kiss me,” I repeated.
His eyes were wide, stunned at my request, but he wasn‘t moving. I could see he was still in the same attire he‘d been in earlier; the formal clothes making his body somehow look even more fitted.
I quietly sighed impatiently whilst his head tried to comprehend exactly what was happening.
“Aria–.”
However, I didn‘t wait for him to finish his sentence. It wasn‘t words I wanted right now... it was him.
I walked up and pulled on the collar of his shirt until his face was within reach of my own.
“Please, Cai...,” I whispered, as I looked up slowly from his lips to his eyes.
He was so close now that it caused a shiver of anticipation to run through my body. I needed this, I needed him, and I could see in his eyes that he wanted me too. The tension between us was becoming so intense that it felt tangible. 1
The cold night breeze swept around us and it only made the warmth coming from him even more inviting. I loosened the hand I had hooked onto his shirt and ran it all the way along his chest, feeling him under m y touch, until it rested on his broad shoulder. I wanted him closer, his body still feeling too far away.
My heart jumped a little when I saw him finally lean in closer and place his hand on the side of my head, his thumb resting against my cheek tenderly. And instinctively, I closed my eyes as I moved towards him, preparing myself for what would happen next.
But instead of feeling him against my lips, I felt him shift away... and kiss my cheek instead.
“No,” he said quietly. “Not like this.”
I snapped my eyes open to look at him.
“No… no, please, I need this,” I said and grabbed onto him tighter. “Please, Cai... I want you.”
He closed his eyes and looked pained, almost as if he was internally having a battle within himself.
“Aria–”
“No, you said you wanted me,” I said, my voice becoming more frantic. “Why are you doing this now?”
“Because I honestly don‘t know if it‘s me you want right now, or if it‘s just you finding an outlet for your grief.”
I could feel as my cheeks began to burn in humiliation, my eyes tearing up, and instantly I dropped my
side as if he‘d just stung me. His words left me embarrassed and hurt over his rejection, and... angry. Angry that everyone was choosing to disappoint me today of all days.
Chaptei Hity Out
that crap... I‘m sick of hearing people saying that to me today. I‘m fine!
said sternly. “You couldn‘t even stand to look at me today and yet somehow you‘re now on my doorstep begging for me. Excuse
You just wanted to sleep with me?” I argued.” Well, here I
but he took a step away, creating a small distance between us. I couldn‘t help but flinch at
said I wanted you, Aria. You as a whole. Not... whoever the hell this is right now. And I honestly think that maybe, deep down, you do actually want me too... but the way you‘re acting right now just
my teeth. “There‘s nothing
fact you can‘t even see it is part of
sighed, calming himself
as a friend. But I have more self–respect than to sit back and let you use me because of the feelings I have for you. Because I do want you... and I honestly want nothing more than for you to tell me right now that I‘m wrong about all of this. But from what I can see, you need help, Aria, and I‘m happy to oblige... but not like that. Not
him he was wrong, but
and it‘s me you actually want. Or tell me that you want my help, and
wasn‘t the sort of on the spot decision I had expected to deal with when coming here. I wasn‘t ready for
so,” he
now. I… I need
changed to one of worry and I could feel he was about to chase
where are you going?”
night away from him. There was no point in staying any longer. I was already at the point of feeling humiliated and confused
me you‘re
knowing where I was going but I knew I
couldn‘t help it anymore, unable to hold it in. I screamed out into the sky; my frustration
doing the opposite when I‘d needed them most. I had needed Aleric to believe me, to take my side. I‘d needed my father to push for Thea‘s arrest, or at least confinement until it
out of my
all Thea‘s fault. Everything had been fine before she‘d shown up. Myra would still be alive and I wouldn‘t be fighting with Aleric and
signs of the
my father weren‘t willing to do what needed to be done, then maybe
Fuck it.
my hands on somethingt o inflict
make Thea pay... and I would do it slowly, piece by piece, with the silver blade she used to kill Myra. I would make it
plan to go see Thea; the Alpha command Aleric had placed on me. It wasn‘t happy with my intention to defy the order given to me. I winced, crying out in pain as it constricted itself around me, forcing my movements to
then suddenly came rushing towards me as I fell, and I began to crawl even as the pain got worse; I was determined to keep going no matter the cost. It was as if a car was thrown on top of my body, crushing me
it was too late
the Goddess, chosen, a Saintess, and no order should be able
the unbearable pain it caused, until they finally broke off me like chains... and, instantly, I gasped with relief when the weight was lifted. It was as if an immediate sense of liberation filled me and
...I was free.
to the building where the evidence was kept locked up. The silver knife would be in there I knew, guarded by at least one warrior, but I wasn‘t concerned. Given how little time had passed since Aleric‘s decision, I was fairly sure that, as far they probably knew, I was still a part
it in a completely new light given how dark it
I saw the room up ahead. A room guarded by only one warrior named Ray. Unfortunately, I didn‘t know him
greeted cautiously in a flat voice, approaching him slowly
saw me enter. “Beta heir?
to pick something up. It‘s
necessarily a lie. It was definitely going to help with solving the issue
Chesterbrity Fou!
realised that something wasn‘t right
is kept shut until daylight hours. The warriors are Alpha ordered to stand guard for the duration of the night duty so I
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